Shortening a bracelet can be tricky. On this page I will address the bracelet-types and links that are used the most by Seiko, and try to show you how to remove the links.
- First, the well know bracelet of the Seiko Monster. Feared because of the use of the pin-and-collar: a metal collar is keeping a pin in place that goes throught the links. This collar is positioned at the side of the links, and gets lost very easily.
- The next type of bracelet, used for example on the SKA371. This one also has a pin going through two adjacend links, and is kept in place by a collar. But this collar is inside the link, in the middle part. Much better !!! If you remove the pin with care, keeping the link straight, the collar will stay in place and when you put the link back after removing a link, it is very easy to push the pin back.
- The most common bracelet has a split-pen to connect the links: a folded pin with some sort of thicker part.
- The last bracelet is the one with links made of folded metal, with a metal plate inserted to connect two links. Many of the small Seiko5 models have this system.
I hope this information is useful, comments, additions, welcome !
Some tricks for those who are installing a metal bracelet (MILTAT):
The steel bracelets are produced by Miltat, and usually fitting them is easy. However, sometimes the holes that are drilled in the lugs are not exactly where they should be, and the end-pieces of the bracelet are just a bit off (both products are made with minor tolerances). One thing you must do: use the push pins that are supplied with the bracelet. The push pins from Seiko have thicker end points that leave no space to move the end-piece.
What I do first: I remove the push pins and move the end-pieces through the lugs, this removes metal particles that sometimes are left by the drilling of the holes and the manufacturing of the end-pieces (and also the lugs). I use the small screwdriver that I also use for the screwed links to help lead the push pin towards the holes in the lugs.
